Milk-can.



B. C- PLANK.

MILK CAN.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 4,1911.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

WITNESSES.- M. M. 5. m Hui 7:5

UNITE EDWARD C. BLANK, OF FORREST JUNCTION, WISCONSIN.

MILK-CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 22, 1911.

Application filed March 4, 1911. Serial No. 612,244.

f0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwaao C. PLANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forrest Junction, county of Calumet, and State of \Viseonsin, have invented a new and useful Milk-Can, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of sheet metal cans which are used for transporting milk, cream, whey, &c., by teams, cars, boats &c., and which are usually formed of tin, they being commonly made with straight parallel sides from top to bottom, although somtimes they are made with a portion of their upper ends of a smaller diameter than the lower portion or body of the can, but whichever style they may be, their upper ends are provided with vertical and parallel sides and a cover with a like vertical drop rim fitting closely the inside of said parallel sides, and the result is, that after use for a short time, the tin upon the inside of the cans and outside of the drop rim of the cover becomes worn off around where the drop rim of the cover frietionally engages the inside of the can, as the cover is inserted and withdrawn from the can top, so that they will become rusty, and thereby making the can unsanitary for use with articles of food, and in some States unlawful to be used. For overcoming this undesirable result I make the inside of the can around its cover with its sides flaring outward slightly with a straight face, and fit the drop rim of the cover to the flare of the can top, so that the cover will not engage frictionally with the can top in inserting and removing the cover for only a very short distance and thereby preventing the tin upon the surface of the sheet metal from being worn off by the friction in inserting and removing it, as the drop rim being tapering the same degree that the mouth of the can is, its movement when it is once home and a tight oint is formed, will immediately cease and thereby prevent the wear of the tin upon the inside of the can top and outside of the drop rim of the cover: The flare of the can top should be only slight, so as not to destroy the frictional adherence of the cover and can when the cover is pressed into the can top.

Still another improvement which I have applied is, an outside protecting and strengthening band around the can top, which serves to strengthen the can top and also as a guard around the tapering part of the can top and to thereby prevent any liability of said part which the tapering drop rim of the cover is fitted to, from becoming bent or dented so as to lessen the close lit which their respective tapers naturally produce.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertieal section of the upper portion of a can having my improvements, with a cover in elevation raised slightly from a close fit within the can top.

Similar numerals indicate like parts in all the views.

1, indicates the lower part of a can or the body thereof, in the formation of which no special features are necessary for the application of my im n-ovements. 2, is a seamed joint which connects the upper tapering part and the lower part or body of the can together; 3, a flaring top for the can which extends with a uniform [lare from the seam 2 to the top of the can. 4, indicates a round rod formed into a ring and encircling the can top; 5, a band of heavy sheet metal, a good quality of sheet metal having a heavy coating of tin being desirable for the sheet metal portion of the can. This band is provided with a strengthening head (3, and n'iay extend down to nearly the lower edge of the flaring an top, and is bent partly around the rod or ring 4, and its lower edge soldered to the outside of the flaring can top 3, while its upper edge is bent partly around the ring and the upper edge of the ilaring top 3 spun over the ring and edge of the band in a manner well known to a tin-smith, and pro perly soldered.

The strengthening band and red are not necessarily to be secured to the flaring can top, or the can top and lower body portion of the can, connected to each other in ust the manner above described, as any suitable and convenient manner, such as would be obvious to a tin-smith, I consider as within the scope of my invention. No change is made in the cover 7, from the ordinary covers of tin pails and cans, excepting the making of the drop rim 8, tapering to correspond in its taper with the flare of the inside of the can top. However, it must be of such a diameter that it cannot enter the can top so far as to permit its annular overlapping flange to engage the can top be fore the drop rim and inside of the can top form a tight joint with each other. It may be provided with handles 9, and the can body with handles 10.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,--

1. In a can, a cover therefor, the usual flange or rim upon the cover extending over the upper end of the can top and spaced a distance above the same, a drop rim,

. straight from edge to edge of its width and tapering inward slightly, its entire width, a can top adapted to receive the cover having a taper inward corresponding with the taper of said drop rim, straight from near the top at the curve over its strengthening band to the point of its connection with the vertical sides of the body of the can, the diameter of the tapering can top being such as compared with that of the tapering drop rim of the cover, that they will engage with and form a close joint wit-h each other before the aforesaid flange or rim eX- tending over the can top will engage with said can top.

2. In a can, a cover therefor, the usual flange or rim upon the cover extending over the upper end of the can top and spaced a distance above the same, a drop rim,

straight from edge to edge of its width and I tapering inward slightly, its entire width, a can top adapted to receive the cover having a taper inward corresponding with the taper of said drop rim, straight from near the top at the curve over its strengthening band to the point of its connection with the vertical sides of the body of the can, the diameter of the tapering can top being such as compared with that of the tapering drop rim of the cover, that they will engage with and form a close joint with each other before the aforesaid flange or rim extending over the can top will engage with said can top, in combination with a strengthening band secured around the can top outside of the tapering portion of the same, consisting of a rod formed into a ring, a strip of sheet metal, one edge of which is bent partially around said ring, and the upper edge of the can top spun or bent over said ring and upper edge of the band, nearly around the rod which forms said ring, and soldered thereto, its lower edge extending downward from the ring and being provided with a strengthening bead and its lower edge extremity soldered to the flaring port-ion of the can top.

EDW. O. PLANK. Witnesses W. C. ALTEN, WALTER LUCKOW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

